Hasp fastening for suit and attache cases and the like



C. W. CHENEY Aug. 1,' 1933.

HASP FASTENING FOR SUIT AND ATTACHE CASES AND THE LIKE Filed May 6, 1932W Z W5 5 w Patented Aug. 1, 1933 nAsr FASTENING FOR SUIT AND ATTACHECASES AND THE LIKE.

Charles William Cheney, Birmingham, England Application May 6, 1932,Serial No. 609,574,

r g and in Great Britain July 6, 1931 53 Claims. (Cl. sea-235.)

The invention relates, to the hasp member of hasp iastenings whose othermember is usually a lock member, and distinctly to a hasp membercomprising two main pieces, the one an attachment plate, and the other ahasp bar slidably hinged at its one end upon the attachment plate so asto be adjusted therealong, and so as to be swung to open and closedpositions, ratchet engagements being provided between the attachmentplate and the haspbar. A hasp spring is provided between the attachmentplate and the hasp bar to normally swing the latter.

outwardly todisengage the ratchet action.

-Such a hasp member is described and illustrated in the specificationsof my prior British Letters Patents Nos. 323, i27 and 361,567.

According to the invention a pivoted pawl is provided at the hinged endof the hasp .bar and a separate spring to operate onsaid pawl for theratchet action. The pawl is disposedwithin the. trough section of thehaspupon a crossly directed pivoting pin, while the pawl spring is alsodisposed within said trough section and is held therein by engagingunder the pivoting pin. The hasp bar spring is a torsional one looselymounted upon the pivoting pin and having limbs to contact the hasp barand the attachment plate for normally swinging the hasp bar out--wardly. The pawl spring is only a light powered one and thereforesensitive, and enables the pawl to have a very soft andsilent ratchetaction with the ratchet teeth. The hasp bar spring is one of muchgreater power being operative to normallyswing the hasp bar outwardly.'The pawl and both springs form part of the hasp bar; so that the latteronly needs to be assembled as one piece to the attachment plate formedwith the ratchet teeth.

The invention is represented in two desirable forms by the accompanyingsheet of drawing, Figs. 1 to 4; representing one form, and Figs. 5 to 8the other form.

Fig. 1 is a vertical side section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a back elevation of the hasp bar and its component partsseparately.

Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 2-011 the dotted lines AB.

Fig. 5 is a vertical side section.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a back view of the hasp bar and its component partsseparately.

Fig. 8 is a section of Fig. 6 on the dotted lines CD.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, the rigidly'built attachment plate a,adapted for fixing to the exterior front of the lid-of a suit or likecase in the depthwise direction of said lid, has standing up rigidly andcentrally from its face, for-its full length, a rigid rib c ofsubstantially rectangular cross-section. The longitudinal edges of therib are turned inwardly to provide rightangled flanges c2, 03 as in myprior Patent No. 323,427.' A central line of ratchet teeth (I isprovided upon the face of said rib.

A rigidly built hasp bar e, forming at its lower end a carrier for astaple, c2, is mounted at its upper end upon the rib c to slide therealong and hinge thereon, said upper end being formed with hook. edges,c3, c4, to engage the flanges c2, c3, aforesaid. on the rib in suchmanner that this upper end can slide on the riband, at the same timelimitedly hinge thereon. The hasp bar is of trough cross sectioncorresponding to the cross sectional shaping of the rib c, and itsengagement with the rib holds it against lateral displacement, Thisupper end of the hasp bar is permanently connected to the rib withoutthe use of any hinging pin, and whenthe hasp is closed the whole of itlying over said rib is held I laterally by the sides of the trough crosssection lying closely against the sides of the rib.

All the foregoing is in accordance with my prior British Letters PatentNo. 323,427 except the line of ratchet teeth d on the face of the rib.

According to the invention the hinged end of the swingable hasp bar 6 isprovided with a pivoted pawl, or catch, f and with two springs g and h,the former being a pawl spring and the latter a hasp bar spring. Thepawl is pivoted upon a crossly directed pivoting pin 2'. Said pawl andsprings are snugly disposed within the. trough cross section of the haspbar and inwards of the rocking engagement of the hook edges e3, 64 withthe flanges of the rib, the pawl being between said hook edges. The pawlspring g engaged under the pivoting pin 1' and crosses the tail end ofthe, pawl, it being alight wire spring of substantially hairpin shape.The hasp bar 100 spring h is a torsional one having two pairs of limbs7L2, I13, joined by coils 7L4, the latter loosely surrounding thepivoting pin 2' and the limbs arranged for operation one pair againstthe interior of the front wall of the hasp bar, and the 5 other pairagainst the face of the rib c. The spring It operates to normally swingthe hasp siderable strength, but the spring g is of very there issimilarly, as in soft and silent spring ratchet action of the pawl intoaction.

It will be clearfrom description aforesaid. of the drawing that the haspbar carrice the pawl, the pivoting pin and the two springs as aone-piecepart thereof, and that the simple assembly of the hasp bar tothe rib, by sliding said bar onto rib from the lower end, brings theparts described into proper rfela tionsl ip for operation.

With reference to Figs. 5 to 8, the hasp bar 6, the pawl i, the pivoting and It subste lly in accordance with what has been des ibed withreference to Figs. 1 to 1, but the attachment plate part is substantially in accordance with the similar part described and represented inthe specifications of my prior Letters Patent No. 61,567, that is ofsay, the attachment plate is provided with a straight hasp-rec iv .ggroove c2, the base of which is formed a parallel and central line of;ratchet teeth vvhile the bottom edges of said grooves are formed withopposite 1ongitudi- LLB.

nal slots a4, while in'suoz-stitution for the hooks 63, a l of Figs, 1to at, opposite integral ears of; are provided upon the upper end of thehasp Inemb r 6 to be introduced into the opposite side slots a4 and bentat-i'igl'rt angles, for hingedly and slidably connecting the upper endof the hasp bar to the attachment plate, this latter being also inaccordance with my prior British Patent No. 361,567, and clearly shownby Fig. 8. In this form the invention, Figs. 5 to 8, l to l, thesensitive in relation to the ratchet teeth d.

Having now described my invention," what I claim and desre to secure byLetters Patent isl. A two-p1 ce hasp'member combining an attachmentplate formedupon its face with a rigid rib whose edges are turnedinwardly into flanges in i and the two springs and which rib is providedwith a central line of ratchet teeth upon its face, a rigidly built haspof trough cross section mounted at its one end upon the rib to slidetherealong and hinge thereon and which has hook edges to engage theflanges of the rib, a hasp spring to normally swing the hasp outwardlyinto oblique position, a pawl mounted upon the hinged end of the hasp bya pivoting pin and adapted to engage the line of ratchet teeth of therib, and a pawl springcarried by the hasp andadapted to operate upon thepawl, substantially as described.

2. A,two-piece hasp member combining an attachment plate formed upon itsface with a straight hasp-receiving groove the bottom of whichisprovided with a central line of ratchet teeth and the sides withlongitudinal slots, 21. rigidly built hasp of trough cross sectionmounted at its one end within the groove to slide therealong and hingetherein and which has ears to engage the slots of the groove, a haspspring to normally swing the hasp outwardly into an oblique position, apawl mounted upon the hinged end of the hasp by a pivoting pin andadapted to engage the line of ratchet teeth of the groove, and a pawlspring carried by the hasp and adapted to operate upon the pawl,substantially as described.

3. A two-piece hasp member comprising an attachment plate, a centralline of ratchet teeth formed upon the face of said plate, a rigidlybuilt haspdirectly mounted at its one end upon the attachment plate tobodily slide therealong and to bodily hinge thereon at said end, a haspspring to normally swing the entire hasp outwardly to oblique positionfrom its hinged end, a pivoted pawl directly and immediately applied tothe hinged end of the hasp to be always a part ofsaid hasp and adaptedto and disengage the line of ratchet teeth of the attachment plate and apawl spring also carried by the hasp and adapted to operate upon thepawl only.

CHARLES WILLIAM CHENEY.

